6 Chain Restaurant Margaritas, Ranked Worst To Best

There's no question the collective appetite for margaritas peaks in the warmer months. The push to sip the popular cocktail starts before Cinco de Mayo and continues until Labor Day. Many folks (like me) drink margaritas year-round, but let's face it, they're especially refreshing when it's hot outside.

There's some dispute as to the origin of the margarita, but the most interesting story involves a bar in Mexico, an Irish tourist, and a bartender who inadvertently grabbed tequila instead of brandy for the Brandy Daisy, made with brandy, liqueur (which varies, but may include orange liqueur or yellow chartreuse), and lemon juice. That was 1936. Fast forward to today, and the margarita has become the preferred drink of summer. 

I understand the lure of the margarita. The cocktail is spirited, lively, and balances tangy, sweet, and salty elements. Since I'm a margarita enthusiast, I decided to see which neighborhood chain restaurant makes the best version. I went to several restaurants, sat at the bar, and ordered the house margarita. While all eateries offered a variety of margaritas — from fruity, to spicy, to top shelf — I ordered the house margarita on the rocks, with salt. I judged each margarita based on overall flavor and the taste of each component. I also noted the amount of froth on top. A standard margarita is shaken to emulsify and chill the ingredients, and a cocktail crowned with a light, airy froth is my preference. Take note: Most of these margaritas were good. Two were fabulous, one was memorable, and one I'll never order again. 

Heading into this review, I would have asserted, "I've never met a margarita I didn't enjoy." That was until I tasted the House Margarita at Red Robin. I feel ruthless saying this because the bartender was very kind. Sadly, there was nothing she could do to change the ingredients used in the chain's standard margarita. The Red Robin house margarita is made with Tortilla silver tequila, triple sec, and house sour mix. I asked about the sour mix and was informed that it wasn't house-made, but rather reconstituted Monin concentrated margarita mix.

My margarita arrived in a goblet, and I could tell it was nicely shaken. The surface was deliciously frothy, and the rim was speckled with salt. I was excited to sample it, but my spirit was deflated. The drink was cloyingly sweet, and I loathed the taste of the tequila. The liquor wasn't earthy, citrusy, or peppery like good tequila; it was harsh. And I detested the flavor of the sour mix. It tasted entirely fake; the only element that resembled lime (or citrus at all) was the lime garnish. Lastly, the drink had too much orange liqueur, which added to the overabundance of sugar. No amount of shaking could change the inherent taste of this drink; it was disagreeable.

If you dine at Red Robin, I strongly suggest you choose a different margarita, as there were other options that seemed much better. I ranked this margarita last because that's where it belongs.

Since Chili's is a popular Tex-Mex chain, I presumed I would adore its house margarita. One sip in, and I realized "adore" was too strong of a word.

The house margarita at Chili's is made with Cuervo Tradicional Blanco tequila, triple sec, and house-made sour mix. And apparently, it's not shaken. That matters to me because not only does it add froth, but shaking a cocktail chills it more than stirring does. 

I wasn't entirely disappointed when my cocktail arrived without froth because the salted rim gave the drink a major upgrade and made it look more enticing. Unfortunately, looks were deceiving because my margarita tasted like cheap tequila and lemonade. To be clear, Cuervo Tradicional Blanco is not a cheap tequila; it just didn't marry well with the chain's house sour mix (which should be called "house lemonade"). I liked the tequila's peppery finish but couldn't get past the unpleasant sour mix. In addition, I didn't detect any triple sec. A hint of orange would have added some dimension and layers of flavor to this cocktail, and that's what I typically expect from a margarita. I did not experience any of that with this drink. 

I ranked the Chili's house margarita higher than Red Robin's because it was a hair better, but I won't be ordering it again. Next time, I'll choose one of the chain's other margaritas and ask for fresh lime juice instead of the house-made sour.

The margarita at Outback Steakhouse didn't make it into the top three, but it wasn't bad. Full disclosure: When I ordered the house margarita, the bartender tried to convince me to switch to another margarita variety, including one with premium blanco, or one made with an aged tequila like reposado or añejo. But, to create a fair and unbiased ranking, I said, "No thank you, I'll have the house margarita."

Admittedly, I was surprised by the amount of froth on this drink. Perhaps it was the robust shaking I observed, or maybe it was the tall, narrow glass. Either way, I was thrilled (as mentioned, I'm a froth girl).

The Outback Steakhouse house margarita is made with Sauza gold tequila, triple sec, and house sour mix. The tequila was both floral and peppery, so I enjoyed that. When sitting at the bar, I learned that the house sour is a reconstituted mix, and I found it exceedingly tart. I liked the orangey hint of triple sec, but there wasn't enough to cut the acidity of the sour mix. I prefer my margaritas on the tangy side, so if I found this drink too sour, it was too sour.

When sampling this drink, I realized why the bartender attempted to steer me in a different direction. He wasn't wrong, and I will adhere to that guidance next time. I ranked this margarita fourth because it was icy, frothy, and better than the previous margaritas, but it simply wasn't in the same league as the top three.

I was surprised when I received my Applebee's house margarita because it was served in a cocktail shaker with a salted glass alongside it. Applebee's calls its house margarita the "Perfect Margarita," and the intention is that patrons will "Pour on the Perfect" to create their own drink. I appreciated the creativity and, quite frankly, the control to pour as much or as little as I wanted. I watched my cocktail being made and was overjoyed by how long it was shaken. Bring on the froth. My cocktail was cold and crisp and stayed that way during sampling.

The Applebee's house margarita is made with 1800 tequila, Cointreau, Grand Marnier, house simple syrup, fresh lime juice, and house-made sour mix. It was the only establishment I visited that incorporated Grand Marnier into its house margarita. The orange-scented French cognac added hints of vanilla and caramel, which were missing from the other drinks and the reason I ranked it higher. I liked the house sour mix and appreciated the additional splash of fresh lime juice. The tequila was barely detectable at first, but delivered subtle floral notes and a mild peppery finish.

Applebee's Perfect Margarita almost lived up to its menu name, but it simply couldn't compete with the top two on this list. The winners in the category offered a more enjoyable margarita experience.

When I sat down at Margaritas Mexican restaurant, I was handed a four-page menu dedicated entirely to margaritas. For this reason, I knew I was in good hands. As tempting as the lengthy cocktail menu was, I stuck with the house margarita — and I was thankful that I did.

The Margaritas Mexican restaurant margarita contains Sauza Hacienda gold tequila and house sour mix — that's it. The sour mix consists of both lemon and lime juice and a touch of sugar. Unlike the other chains, there was no triple sec; it wasn't needed. I loved the flavor of the tequila. I asked the bartender if it was reposado tequila because I detected warm, oaky notes. Turns out, it was the gold tequila, but the experience was the same.

Next, the sour mix was perfectly balanced. It wasn't too sweet or too tart, and the salted rim upgraded the cocktail by complementing the acidity of the citrus, increasing the intensity of the sugar, and elevating the depth of the tequila. Goldilocks would have approved.

I ranked this margarita second because it wasn't shaken. As mentioned, shaken cocktails are sublimely chilled and, truth is, some cocktails are better when shaken. This was one of those cases. I still worshiped every froth-free sip, but I had to rank accordingly for that. However, if you live near the regional chain, I suggest you grab the house margarita on your next visit.

I'll start this section by saying this: This was one of the best margaritas I've ever had. And in case you haven't noticed, I'm persnickety when it comes to margaritas. The On the Border margarita consists of Pueblo Viejo 104 blanco tequila, orange liqueur, lemon juice, and lime juice. And, like Red Robin, it arrived in a massive goblet. But, unlike Red Robin, I wanted more than one sip.

I'll start with the tequila because it was delicious. In fact, while sitting at the bar, I researched the brand to learn more about it. The high-proof, distinctly unique blanco tequila was smooth yet citrusy and warm yet peppery. It was complex, as the original taste was not the same as the finish.

Now for the house sour mix. The bartender informed me that it's house-made with lemon, lime, and simple syrup. I found it remarkably balanced, boasting just enough sweetness to cut the acidity of the tart fruit. In fact, the sour mix married exceptionally well with the sweet orange liqueur. I've since learned that On the Border sells its house-made sour mix — I find this unsurprising because it's delicious, and I was tempted to purchase it.

Lastly, my cocktail was perfectly shaken and had lip-smacking froth on top. From top to bottom, this was the best margarita of the bunch. I'm confident most folks will agree.

For this ranking, I visited several chain restaurants with house margaritas on the menu. I chose five national chains and one regional chain with about 20 locations. At each spot, I ordered the house margarita, even when encouraged to order something more upscale or fruity. I stayed the course so I could judge each drink fairly. After ordering, I watched my drink being made and inquired about the ingredients. Most mixologists showed me the bar's bottles of tequila, sour mix, and house-squeezed juice. I learned as much as I could so I could craft an authentic ranking.

When my drink was served, the first thing I noted was the amount of froth on top. As mentioned, a standard margarita is shaken, and that's the way I prefer it. I'm not alone, and there's a reason for shaking a cocktail: Vigorously shaking a margarita adds aeration while emulsifying and chilling the drink. If you don't believe me, try shaken and unshaken margaritas side-by-side. There's a difference.

Next, I focused on flavor, taking note of the tangy, sweet, and salty elements, as well as the taste of the tequila. The winners in the category balanced all flavors of the spectrum in one sip. If I detected sweetness, tang, salt, and the inherent flavor of tequila on my palate, I ranked accordingly. I decided not to include price in this ranking because most cocktails were between $9 to $10, which I thought was a fair price for a house margarita.